Burnout: 5-minute body scan meditation, at the airport

About this practice

5 minutes to meet burnout with less of a fight. A body scan practice, at the airport. A guided session of about 5 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: burnout

Burnout is not tiredness you can sleep off. It is a flat, depleted state after prolonged effort, where the usual rewards stop registering.

It tends to show up as:

• Flatness rather than sadness
• Cynicism about work you used to care about
• Rest that does not restore anything

Recovery is not a push. Gentle practices that ask nothing of you are more useful here than anything with a target.

Doing this on a plane

• Use headphones, and keep the seatbelt on
• Bring a layer — being cold works against settling
• Skip alcohol; it makes the alertness worse

Cabin noise is constant and will mask the audio more than you expect. Try the headphones before you settle in.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

• Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
• Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
• Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let your shoulders drop about a centimetre. That is roughly where most of us keep the day.
2. 0:15If a region feels numb, that is a finding too. Note it and move on.
3. 0:29We're going to let the body lead and the mind follow for a while.
4. 0:43We'll start broad and narrow down. Nothing sudden is coming.
5. 0:55Notice the difference between the breath at the front of your nose and the breath in your chest.
6. 1:11Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, without forcing it.
7. 1:24Now feel both feet at once. That's a lot of contact with the world.
8. 1:38Feel the soles of your feet. All the weight of you goes through them.
9. 1:52Notice the backs of your knees, which you feel more than you think.
10. 2:05Visit each area with plain curiosity, not with a verdict. Sensation is information, not a problem.
11. 2:20Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
12. 2:32There is a part of you that has handled hard moments before. That part is here now, even if it is quiet.
13. 2:50If you catch yourself fighting the worn-down feeling that coffee cannot fix, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
14. 3:09Notice the small pause before your body decides to breathe in again.
15. 3:22If the distance between you and the work you used to love shows up, let it be there without arguing with it. You are not trying to remove it, just to sit beside it.
16. 3:45If you're distracted by a sound, let the sound be the object for a moment.
17. 3:59Let's pause. Just the breathing for a while.
18. 4:10Start at the crown of the head and move down slowly. Do not skip to the parts that hurt.
19. 4:26Let your jaw, shoulders and hands be loose as you finish.
20. 4:38Stay here a little longer.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.